Part XI

[I]Come along now, come along with me,
Come along now, come along and you'll see
What it's like to be free.
Come along now come along with me,
And I'll ease your pain,
Come along now come along with me,
And let us seize the day,
Oh come along with me,[/I] ~ Titiyo, Come Along

Ray couldn't bare the thought of leaving Midnight back, but he knew it had to be done. He tried not to think about it, tried to concentrate on getting the two girls out of there safely.

Midnight leapt over and through the raging Houndour, surprising them. Some turned around to go back after the daredevil Umbreon, while others focused on the running pack. The canine's collided and got themselves into a big chaos that soon involved most of the Espeon.

Leaping, Midnight extended his claws and slashed the air as he flew on invisible wings and landed right in front of Chain, his slashed paw striking Chain's jaw. Chain's head reacted and swung to the side, and when Chain looked back at Midnight, fire blazed at the back of his eyes, his anger flaring up.

"Once you're down, the others won't know what to do," Midnight growled. "So I'm taking you down buddy, you and me. You're going down."

Chain snorted. "If I go down, you're coming with me."

"Chain honey, you going to be okay?" Violetta asked.

"Do not call me honey!" Chain snapped. He focused his attention on the young Umbreon of 3 (equivalent to 15 in human age). "You, you Umbreon filth, are you ready to get your butt kicked?"

"I will not let you destroy the pack and the freedom we have," Midnight replied bravely, trying to hide the fear that desperately wanted to make his knees shake and his teeth chatter and his legs run away. "Even if I have to sacrifice myself I won't let you harm them."

"It is a pointless sacrifice boy," Chain grinned smugly. "You are a worthless Umbreon that will soon pay THE ULTIMATE PRICE!" With that, Chain ran at Midnight, prepared to leap and tackle the pokémon to the ground, but at the last minute with swift movement, Midnight ducked, and Chain went flying over him and tumbled into the long grass.

Ray heard the commotion, and stopped running, looking behind him, spying Midnight and Chain firing nightshades, Flame-throwers, Shadow Balls, Fire Blasts and any other powerful attacks. Chain suddenly fired off a flame-thrower, a direct hit, striking Midnight in the face. Midnight tried to rub the heat out of his face. Chain sent off a fire blast, the fiery star of hell, and when Midnight looked up from the flame-thrower, was sent flying back by the flames of hell.

"Oh my god, Midnight!" Ray cried. Midnight struggled to get up, but succeeded, and faced Chain. "Midnight!" Ray shouted again.

Viola and Ebony stopped their mad dash too, a bit further than Ray, and turned around. Viola's eyes widened, horrified from the sight. "MIDNIGHT!" She shrieked. She began to run forward, but Ray jumped in her way.

"It is pointless to go get yourself hurt too," Ray told Viola. "You too Ebony. Only I shall go."

"Hey listen here Ray!" Ebony began, but Ray cut her off, new determination visible in his personality.

"No you listen here," Ray snapped back. "I don't want either of you getting hurt. Midnight knows what he's doing, and even if it means that he is sacrificing himself, he is doing it from the kindness of his heart. Just going in and fighting won't do any good. If Midnight makes it out alive then it's a plus. But if he dies, it's a defiant minus."

"I can't let him get hurt!" Viola objected, starting to cry. She ran around Ray, and ran up to where Chain and Midnight were battling, tears running down her cheeks.

"VIOLA!" Ray shouted.

"NO!" Ebony yelled.

Chain let loose a stream of fire, flames hot enough to melt glass. They struck Midnight and swallowed him, the tongues of flame licking Midnight's fur. Viola cried even harder, and with all her heart hoped that he would come out all right. Keeping up the intensifying inferno, Midnight suddenly leapt out of the flames, and knocked Chain over, slashing his face. Chain opened his mouth to flame Midnight, but with another slash, knocked the forming attack to the side, where it shot up into the sky. Midnight seized the opportunity, and with tired limbs, bit down hard on Chain's neck. Chain howled, the pain searing through his veins and nerves. Lifting up his back legs he managed to kick Midnight off of him and onto the grass again.

Midnight got up, and was hit by Chain again, and knocked over again. Chain let loose another fiery star from hell, this time with black and red flames.

"Oh my gosh!" Ebony gasped. "Gramps always told me of this attack! Heru Star! The fire dark attack. Its flames are black and red representing those flames of hell. Once hit by this attack, you have very little chance of surviving as it smothers the target."

"MIDNIGHT! RUN!" Ray shouted, panicked.

The Houndoom, Umbreon, and Espeon were watching Midnight, as he lay on the ground, barley conscious, the Heru Star drawing closer.  Midnight just lay there, showing no sign of being able to get up, breathing heavily.

"It's going to hit him!" Ebony cried.

"No!" Ray whispered, tears welling up in his eyes.

Viola's eyes widened. There was no real counter for Heru Star; poor Midnight would be killed in his weak state. She knew what she had to do, and teleported right in front of Midnight, who just lifted his head to look. "No! I won't let you die Midnight!" she declared, head up high. The star drew closer and closer.

"Viola," Midnight hoarsely whispered, tired and weak. "Go. You can't be hurt."

"I won't go!" Viola replied. She faced the attack, and looked it straight.

"Go!" Midnight told her. "There is no need for you to protect me."

"I LOVE YOU MIDNIGHT!" Viola announced.

Time seemed to stop still. There was Ray and Ebony, who were running up to get closer. Midnight, with his head lifted, eyes widened as the words registered in his head. Viola, standing there bravely ready to protect Midnight. Lunar watching gravely, waiting for the results. Violetta gasping, her eyes as wide as a pair of meat pies, not believing what her daughter was doing, and Chain.

Viola's bravery and loyalty also shocked Chain. He had wanted to finish off the only pokémon that could stop the invasion, the young Midnight, but thanks to this young Espeon, he would fail. Time began to move again, and Viola felt a rush of energy flow threw her. A purple source of energy surrounded her, its own wind blowing Viola's fur. The purple amethyst that Viola wore on her chain began to glow, a blinding violet light searing out of it and around the Heru Star, demolishing the attack.

"No!" Chain cried, as Viola's amethyst sent out two purple rays of energy, striking both Violetta and Chain, lifting them.

"Viola! Put me down NOW! This is an order from your mother!" Violetta shouted angrily.

"My Mother," Viola repeated scornfully. "You never cared!" She cried. "You never stayed by me, never cared whether I was okay or not. You didn't even care when Kala and the Houndour were attacking me! That is not the sign of a mother. You were never a mother to me therefore I refuse to accept you are even related to me!"

"Viola! I love you!" Violetta told her. "Please give me another chance."

"No. Today was your chance!" Viola replied. "You could have saved me! You could have showed you care. Those words are meaningless without a heart. And you have no heart! You traitor!"

"No!" Violetta yelled. Viola turned and walked away, a psychic force making Chain and Violetta follow in the air. The cliff was close by, and with a small hurl, Chain and Violetta were flung down the cliff to drown in the rushing river.

The indigo force seemed to calm, and her glowing chain and gem faded, as Viola reached Moonlight Meadow and collapsed from the energy drainage. The pokémon watched Viola, the young Espeon that had saved them all from the horrible mess that the Houndour and Chain had started.

Standing up, Midnight made his way through the packs, tired and bleeding, over to Viola. Ray and Ebony followed, and watched as Midnight licked Viola's face lovingly. Ebony turned to the rest of them. "The future is now people. We have some planning to do, and we may as well do it now."

Lunar stepped forward. "Ebony is right. The Houndour and Houndoom, please leave Moonlight Meadow. I'm sure a new leader will be elected soon at your territory but while you are currently leaderless go. Espeon, I would like to ask who the new leader will be so I can inform Opaque, the head Eevee of the Eeveeloution Council."

An Espeon stepped forward. "Lunar, I believe that it is not only my choice, but the choice for the whole pack to have Indigo as our new leader."

The Espeon known as Indigo nodded. "I accept. Anybody is an improvement now with Violetta's actions."

"Can Viola please join our pack?" Midnight suddenly asked. "She saved our butts, she fought for me. She deserves to be one of us!"

Lunar looked at Indigo, and Indigo nodded. "Viola is now with the Umbreon," Lunar declared.

"Where am I?" Viola suddenly asked, regaining consciousness. Leaving Lunar and the others to discuss details, Midnight, Ray and Ebony went around Viola.

"It's over," Midnight told her softly.

"You mean…" Viola trailed off.

"We won," Ebony told her.

"Without you we couldn't have done it," Ray informed her.

"I couldn't have done it without all of you guys," Viola replied.

"Aww can we stop this now? I'm getting all soppy!" Ray complained. The four pokémon laughed. Together they had come through a hard time in their life. Together they had won. They would be friends forever now, a strong bond holding them close.

Holding them together.